In a discussion among academics on the weekend I heard the opinion expressed, along with general horror and incomprehension, that the attacks in Cologne were actually paid for by the Pegida. Facit: no one here knows what to think.

The attacks have been well documented in Cologne and elsewhere in Europe. Police and politicians in Europe covering them up has also been well documented. Google “taharrush gamea” for information on mass sexual harassment of women Arab culture. There should be nothing “incomprehensible” about these attacks to any well-read academic.